Joined by Gov. Eric Holcomb, state and local officials celebrated with Japanese based M&C Tech Indiana on the grand opening of a new 40,000 square-foot facility in Washington, Indiana, Tuesday.

The $4.6 million investment promises to create 70 jobs by 2021. The facility is located along Interstate 69 and will manufacture parts for the automotive industry. This comes amid automotive manufacturing concerns brought on by President Donald Trump's promised steel tariffs.

Through a translator, M&C Tech President Yasuhiro Ito says while he’s concerned about a possible steel trade war, he remains optimistic.

“Yes of course, I am concerned about steel imposed tariff hike, but we are striving to contribute locally here in Washington,” says Ito.

The company is a joint venture between Moriroku Chemicals and Chuba Chemicals. This will be the first Japanese automotive investment in the Daviess County Region says Daviess County Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Ron Arnold.

"It's just kinda a whole different ballgame for Daviess County to play in an arena at this level," says Arnold. "You know the foreign investment and like I said what we hope to be the first of many."

Washington Mayor Joe Wellman visited Japan two years ago in efforts to recruit M&C Tech to his city.

“There’s more foreign Japanese foreign direct investment in Indiana per capita than any other state in the country, but there is a void of those in our part of the state,” says Wellman.

He hopes this investment helps put this area on the map for other possible businesses.

M&C Tech Indiana first announced plans for the facility in November 2016.

The Senate Health and Provider Services Committee on Wednesday threw its support behind a bill that would require Indiana physicians to check the state prescription database — called INSPECT— before prescribing powerful drugs, including opioids.